2012 Astros Minor League Thread

No, but their good too!

 

Jim Callis and J.J. Cooper did a Midseason Top 50 Prospects Chat that cleared a lot of things for me, namely how Singleton could have moved up to 23 after a bad June. They didn't specifically discuss Singleton but rather their overall methodology.

I guess scouts are still high on Singleton.

J.J Cooper also dropped some knowledge on newcomer Matt Dominguez:

DDJ came up too:

Sounds like scouts and analysts alike aren't too sold on DDJ yet. Oh well, he'll make some believers out of them.

And finally there's a comment about Springer's hit tool.

Really makes me want to see the scouting chatter on Springer. I know all about the home/road OPS disparity and inflationary effects of Lancaster but even still King George is hitting .315/.394/.566 vs Marisnick's .264/.349/.451.

I wonder if it means Jorge's hit tool will never come around, because it doesn't sound like scouts are impressed at all.

This post is just more fuel on the fire that we need to return to the FSL. Long live the Kissimmee Kobras!

 

Oh and here is BA's take on the Carlos Lee Trade:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/trade-central/2012/2613647.html

Nothing particularly new.

 

Marisnick k% is <20%

Springer is at 30%.

That is why Springer's is more up in the air than Marisnick.

 

I don't see how Sugarland as an affiliate would ever work. No way would the Astros ever think of trying to compete with themselves during a rebuilding phase.

 

According to fangraphs:
Marisnick: BB% 8.5%, K% 18.5%
Springer: BB% 10.7%, K% 25.4%

7% is nothing ignore (~45 k's over 650 PA's), but I'm surprised scouts think the gap in their hit tools is that significant.

Seeing as Springer walks 2% more (13 BB's over 650 PA's), the gap actually narrows to about 5% excluding contact rate. But c'mon the difference in actual contact (.315 vs .263 ba) far exceeds a measly 5%.

This had to be a scouting decision, because from the advanced stats and box stats George has him beat. Even conceding hit tool to Marisnick, George has better power and speed tools. I even dug up defense: Marisnick is a similar 5-tool player who could handle center but is best suited for left field while Springer can handle center but is best suited for right field.

There's only one way to settle this: Send Wandy, Myers and a buttload of cash to Toronto for Marisknick and Snydergaard. Put Springer and Marisnick in Corpus together inside an octogon.....


BTW Anthony Gose ranked one spot behind Marisnick at 38. Holy balls, Toronto has two 5-tool CF prospects in the top 50

 

How much of the contact difference is due to the league difference and how much is attributable to luck? Overall as prospects, they rated about the same.

Sure would be nice to make that kind of a move, though I don't see Toronto giving us that much.

 

8 spots on that list isn't insignificant. I agree that it would appear they are very similar prospects but 8 spots is 8 spots.

Ultimately it's a fool's exercise to b**** about prospect ratings, so I'll stop here. I think I worked out all my excess prospect curiosity and blog ideas over the past few days so I'm going to dial it down now.


And what if we threw in a cattle ranch with Wandy?

 

Another very detailed profile on DDJ at CBS Sports. For all the love he's getting in the national media, I was surprised BA (and conversely a majority scouting opinion) didn't even think he was close to top 100.

IT'S FONTANA TIME! Nolan made his first professional start tonight in Hagerstown.

Fontana started at DH in Lexington. He is batting 2nd behind his future double-play partner DDJ. They're basically playing repeater at the plate.

-DDJ walked in his first PA. He promptly stole number (59) on the year. In his second PA he bunt-singled home a run.
-In Fontana's first ever PA, he also walked. Second time up, he also singled home a run.

Lexington is playing at Hagerstown tonight

Folty is on the mound for Lexington. I actually am more interested in this game than the Astros/Pirates game.

 

I tend to think otherwise.. Im not very knowledgable on how the revenue splits go with the minor league teams but if you were to make Chorpus Christi your AAA and Sugarland your AA, i think things would be ok. Its a local park and dont you think it would kinda neat to go see singleton and spring or even corria when there in AA, i think it would draw more public interest being you seen the guy grow through the minors. I for one am a Sugarland native and i go to as many Skeeters games possible.. Awesome ballpark, cheap tickets and really fun for the kids. IMO its a worth a shot

 

As a fan, it would definitely be neat.

The Astros would think otherwise. A AA team 30 mins from downtown is going to draw some fans away from the AAAA team that plays at MMP.

 

I'll make the bold statement that having a minor affiliate so close to the big league club has little/no effect on the big league club's attendance.

A crappy big league team isn't drawing fans whether or not there's another club nearby. They basically discount the tickets down to minor prices anyway. Conversely a competitive club isn't worried about losing fans to a minor league team.

 

exactly Sugarland might net them a couple more bucks while the Astros are rebuilding

 

Hah, I was literally about to post something of this nature but Fontana was in the middle of his 6th plate appearance ---> he took his 5th BB for a bases loaded RBI.

EDIT* Zach Johnson hit into a Brad Ausmus*. Game over. Lexington loses 10-8.

*inning ending GIDP

 

I just discovered tonight that MILB internet radio is free. I think I'll be listening to a lot more Legends/ValleyCats/Greeneville-Stros baseball.

Phew. No more watching/listening to Bixler hitting third or Mills using 3 pitchers for 3 outs.